According to reports, the BBC has chosen not to broadcast an episode of Sir David Attenborough’s new series Wild Islands due to worries that it will enrage rightwingers.
The 97-year-old, who has gone over the world to educate people about a diverse range of environments and creatures, is examining problems in the British Isles for the first time.
While five episodes were shot over the period of three years, employing cutting-edge equipment to catch creatures such as sea eagles and killer whales, producers were intending to screen a sixth.
The sixth episode is expected to focus on the degradation of natural ecosystems across the country, as well as the causes of environmental deterioration and the notion of rewilding.
Rewilding, which is contentious among certain right-wing supporters, involves restoring land to its natural form, enabling nature to become more’self-willed.’
According to The Guardian, the broadcaster has opted not to run the sixth episode on linear channels due to its topics, although it will be available on iPlayer.
According to the magazine, the Beeb was concerned that the installment would spark a backlash from the Tory administration and rightwing allies.
But, the decision is understood to have enraged the show’s creators, who believe the BBC has responded to pressure from organisations with “dinosaurian habits,” according to a source.
The remaining five episodes will air in primetime on BBC One as planned.
Sir David was previously interviewed by Chris Packham for Winterwatch and was asked if he had always intended to do a nature series about Britain.
‘Oh, certainly, and it’s just internal BBC politics,’ answered the national treasure.
‘I joined [the BBC] in 1952, and television was restricted to London only. Bristol had a Natural History Unit on the radio but it didn’t have television.
The veteran presenter continued: ‘So we had a great meeting and they said: “Look here, you’re doing natural history and I think we should come to some agreement on this, because when television comes here we want to do natural history television. Tell you what, we’ll do British natural history, and you can do all this stuff in Africa.”
‘And I said, “That suits me down to the ground” so this is a great ambition fulfilled.
Source My Celebrity Life.
